A Grave Discovery
by WidowsHill97
Summary: When a new peculiar comes to Wales, how will the other children react to Miss Peregrine's new ward? They will soon learn that some secrets are darker than others.
1. Chapter 1

_Click clack._  
The heels of the aristocratic young woman hit the floor with such dominance, that the assumption of her being rather unconfident was the least bit expected. Guided by the wise older woman, Miss Amelia Hampshire trotted behind her, trying to ignore the many stares from the other children. She was older than most, or so she believed…  
"I do trust that your room will be to your liking, Miss Hampshire. I understand how daunting such a new place may be," Miss Peregrine explained to her new ward, taking small steps upstairs.  
"Miss Bloom will be a cooperative roommate. She's one of my most trusted children. Mind you, she does have quite the temper."  
Amelia smiled, nodding in the Bird's direction. "As long as she's kind, I'm sure that I'll be able to manage."  
Unlocking the door to one of the last rooms at the end of the hall, Miss Peregrine stepped aside to make way for Amelia.  
"If you have any questions, I will be downstairs in the study. I am sure that the others would be more than welcome to answer them if I am unavailable." Placing her suitcases down, Amelia took in the small, but tidy room. There were two beds, one for her and the other girl.  
What was her name? Bloom? Turning around, she inquired, "Excuse me, but what was-" She paused, noticing that she was alone. How rare. Lifting one of her suitcases back up, she placed it on her bed and began to unpack. Amelia was never one to under pack, and she didn't know how long she was staying here for. Hell, she was new to being peculiar. If it wasn't for Miss Peregrine finding her, Amelia wouldn't even understand what she was capable of. Finding some hangers in the back of the closet, she hung up her dresses neatly. "They aren't going to like me." She muttered to herself, taken aback when she heard a response in the doorway.  
"As long as you're not a bloody wight, there shouldn't be a problem. Doubt you are, the bird wouldn't have brought in one, she knows better." The girl in the doorway, held a flame in her hand. Her eyes were narrowed in suspicion of the newcomer, but judging by the smirk on her face, she was already warming up to Amelia.  
"There's nothing too special about me. I'm one of the most uninteresting people I've ever met." Amelia laughed, but did not dare go near the girl. What if she were to get burned?  
"Nothing special?" The girl's smirk had now developed into a large smile. "You're one of us, you're peculiar," She paused for a beat. "My name's Emma, Emma Bloom. The Bird told me that we're going to be roommates."  
Amelia moved closer to Emma, less afraid but still a bit weary to extend her hand for a shake.  
"I'm Amelia, Amelia Hampshire. Thank you for letting me share your room, I hope that you can forgive me for making such a mess." Stepping further into the room to sit on her bed, Emma shook her head. "I don't mind. Unpacking can be a bother, would you like some help?" Before Amelia had the time to reply, the girl on fire had already reached into the navy suitcase, pulling out another dress and hanging it properly in the closet along with the others. Emma stopped and admired the dress, a curious gleam in her eyes. "It's very pretty, you have nice clothes." She touched the dress, rubbing the smooth fabric in between her fingers. At first, the fear of the dress burning gave Amelia the instinct to reach out and grab it, but she restrained herself. "Thank you, and I bought it before I came to Cairnholm." Amelia replied, "How many peculiars live in this house?"  
Emma let go of the dress and furrowed her eyebrows. "There's me, Bronwyn, Olive, Hugh, Fiona, Enoch, Claire, Horace and Jacob. He's new."  
"Ahem, are you forgetting about me?" Amelia heard the sound of a boy clearing his throat behind her, yet she did not see anyone. She bit her lip, a habit she often did when nervous. It wasn't a ghost, she was certain of that. If he was, he had done an impeccable job of hiding. Amelia's attention turned towards the floorboards, her eyes narrowing. That was where they often lingered; floating upward nonchalantly, ready to expose themselves to their mistress. Amelia slowly backed up away from the voice, falling into a rather sullen state. All of the fear and insecurities had returned, she had nearly been chased out of her own town for her gift, perhaps this would only be another home that she wouldn't be welcomed in. "Amelia, is everything alright?" Emma asked, following the girl's gaze. "That's Millard, he's invisible. There's no need to be afraid, that's his peculiarity." And a challenging peculiarity that is, but I've became a rather good pick pocket."The voice spoke again, this time with a slight chuckle at the end of his sentence. "May I ask what you can do?" A hush fell over the room, as two sets of eyes fell onto Amelia, awaiting her response. Amelia, becoming a bit more comfortable around the two gave them a small smile. "I can see and communicate with spirits. You know, ghosts." Emma and Millard stared at her in astonishment, while Amelia Matilda Hampshire patiently awaited a response. She was a freak, which was understandable. Breaking the silence, Amelia added, "I enjoy dead things. Is there a cemetery nearby? I haven't mourned lately. If I don't drop by once in awhile, they will come to my current location and haunt me." Emma smirked, exchanging a look with Millard, her face brightening. "We may know someone you'd like to meet. His name is Enoch. He's foolish and a liar, but I'm sure that you'll have something in common to chat about. Would you like to meet him?"


	2. Chapter 2

Step step.

It was everywhere, engulfing her with such force that she wanted to vomit. At first, Amelia considered the smell to be rather inhuman but that was the exact opposite of what it was. The vile odor that polluted the air was none other than organs in jars. Hearts mostly, along with some eyes and kidneys.

Emma led the way down the stairs, her nose wrinkling in disgust. An orange flame dancing slightly above her hand, she motioned for Amelia to continue to follow her. "You don't have to be afraid." Miss Bloom reassured her.

"He's not the least bit frightening." Millard agreed, Amelia gasped and almost forgot he was there. This would take some getting used to. Her eyes peered over at the jars, "Is he even human? I'm just assuming that's his breakfast."

"Course it's not, are you mad? Probably are." Amelia's attention turned towards the blonde boy who had just spoken. He appeared to be about her age, glaring in her direction.

"Don't be rude, she's new. Miss Peregrine brought her, she's from the future like Jacob." Emma explained, giving Amelia a nudge.

"That's just grand! The bird is now sending all the future children to the past! Isn't that the way to run things?" He crossed his arms, the sarcasm clear in his voice. "Who is she?"

"I'm Amelia. I like your basement." She quickly replied, immediately regretting how foolish she sounded. Tucking a curl behind her ear, she stepped forward. "What are those?" She asked, pointing at a few small clay men wandering around the room aimlessly.

He sighed, "They're homunculi. You don't have to be scared of them yet. They're not as massive now as I plan for them to be in the future."

Amelia bent down and allowed one to crawl onto her hand, smiling at it's tiny body. "They're perfect, how do you get them to move? Is there some sort of automatic switch?"

"Of course not, I give them life. That's what makes me peculiar. I can give life to things that aren't alive, raise the dead and such." He brushed it off as if it were just a common talent. Amelia's grin only widened.

"I can speak and communicate with ghosts. I enjoy deceased things, too."

The boy stared at her for a few seconds, uncrossing his arms and holding out his hand for her to shake. "I'm Enoch. Would you like me to show you more of my men?"

Amelia nodded, standing back up again and shaking his hand. "I'm Amelia. I suppose you already know that since I've already introduced myself." She laughed, placing the small man back onto the ground. Moving towards the jars, she was intrigued. About to pick up one that held a heart, she lost her balance and grabbed Enoch's shoulder for support.

"I'm sorry! Are you alright?" She inquired. "I almost broke your jar!"

A faint blush appeared on his cheeks as he cleared his throat. "Course I'm alright, just don't touch anything."

"Yes sir."

He scoffed, turning to face Emma and Millard. "What are you two still doing here?"

"Enjoying the show." Millard replied, wincing as Emma hit him. "We're going to go back upstairs to see the little ones. Have fun getting acquainted with one another." Emma replied.

Amelia moved her hand off of Enoch's shoulder, watching as Emma and Millard scurried back upstairs. After a moment of silence, she spoke up. "Do you want to show me the rest of your men now?"


	3. Chapter 3

The dining room was alive with chatter, mostly from the rambunctious younger children. It took them awhile to settle down, excited and anticipating the new arrival. Olive was especially elated, and would have floated up to the ceiling if Bronwyn did not keep a firm grasp on her.

"Careful little magpie!" She warned, buckling up the girl to her chair. "We don't want you to float away."

Olive giggled, "I can't help it, we haven't had a new arrival since Jacob! Do you think she's nice?"

"She is." Replied Millard, who was stuffing his face with potatoes. "And pretty, too."

Miss Peregrine limped into the dining room and the children immediately silenced at her presence. Clearing her throat, she took a seat at the end of the large table.

"As you may have heard, we have a new arrival. Her name is Miss Amelia Hampshire. You must treat her with kindness, and remember that she is now part of our family. Respect is necessary." The bird's narrow eyes gazed through the familiar faces but she failed to spot the new ward. How peculiar.

"It seems that Miss Hampshire is not present."

Emma spoke up confidently, "Millard and I had a chat with her earlier. We were going to introduce her to the others, but she's been in the basement with Enoch all day. Bird only knows why she would want to spend her time with that boy."

The other children oohed and awed and a few of them giggled while Emma shook her head. The spark muttered to herself, while Olive just looked confused.

"What's so funny? I don't like it when I don't understand jokes!" She crossed her arms and huffed, making the other children giggle even more.

"It's silly because Enoch's never enjoyed being around other people. Let alone a girl." Hugh explained as a bee buzzed out of his mouth. "I could only imagine what's going on down there."

"Why Mr. Apitson! That is certainly enough! We mustn't go making assumptions of others we have not met. It is very rude."

Hugh slumped back into his seat, highly displeased to have been yelled at by the headmistress. Fiona patted his shoulder and smiled at him affectionately, which instantly lifted his mood.

The conversations continued briefly, but were soon interrupted by Amelia and Enoch entering the room. Everyone shut their mouths rather quickly as all eyes turned to the pair. Enoch shoved his hands into his pockets, grumbling to himself and taking a seat at the table. Raising his head a bit, he hissed, "What are you all looking at?"

Amelia sat down beside him, staring up at the crowd of new faces and beaming. "Hello, my name is Amelia."

Greetings were exchanged and each peculiar said their name, pleased to see another new arrival.

"What's it like where you're from?" Olive asked intuitively, leaning forward.

"It's nice, a lot different than here. I've never lived on an island before."

"Won't your friends miss you if you're away for too long?"

"I don't think so, I don't have many friends, you see." Amelia replied with a shrug.

Claire gasped, then motioned to Olive. "We can be your friends! Can't we? You'll have fun here with us! We can play dolls!"

Amelia laughed. "That sounds lovely! I love dolls, my mother think's I'm too old for them which is true, but they're such treasures to collect."

"You're really pretty, do you have a husband?" Olive piped up again, making Amelia giggle. The children were very old fashioned, coming from such historic time periods. Some of Miss Peregrine's residents had lived in times as early as the 1800's. They had traditional values, or so Amelia believed.

"No, I do not. I'm not really looking for love. I'm young, I have time." Amelia started to fill her plate up with food, feeling uncomfortable now by the many stares in her direction. She didn't know the last time a new visitor came, and believed that it had been quite some time since another had arrived.

"You're from the future, aren't you?" A boy named Jacob inspected, "I can tell by your clothes. How old are you?"

"I'm seventeen. How old are you?"

"I'm sixteen." He replied, satisfied to have found something in common with Amelia. At least she would understand his expressions and more of the current events in the world.

The rest of the evening consisted of various voices dying to be heard, the room was dazzled with excitement and the eagerness that the children had to talk with Amelia was thrilling. After dinner and the changeover, the wards were sent upstairs to get ready for bed.

"We can speak again tomorrow, Amelia! I'm looking forward to hearing about your thoughts on bees!" Hugh said, heading upstairs with Millard trailing behind him. "And I'll let you observe the town with me, it's nice to hear that someone is interested in reading my book." The invisible boy added.

Enoch simply stared at the girl, a bit perplexed about how he was feeling. It wasn't until Horace nudged him that he snapped out of his thoughts. "Do you fancy her? You won't stop staring at the girl."

The other boy scoffed, "Don't be ridiculous. I barely know her, don't be daft." With that, he stomped off to his bedroom and was rather annoyed at Horace. A few minutes passed and after some contemplation, Enoch couldn't help but wonder if Horace was right. Did he have feelings for this new peculiar? Of course not.

In denial, Enoch shut his door and retired for the night. It wasn't until he heard a knock at the door that he awoke.


	4. Chapter 4

Amelia shut her bedroom door behind her, smirking to herself. She was going to like it here. Coming from a world where she had always felt so different, so misunderstood, this certainly was a paradise.  
Leaning up against her bedroom door, she shut her eyes and sighed dreamily. Then there was that boy. They had what she believed was a nice chat in the basement. They talked about their point of views on death, and how they don't understand how foolish most people could be. She would be silent whenever he focused on performing experimental surgeries on his clay soldiers, only to be snapped at about why she stopped talking.  
"Are you enjoying your stay?" Emma asked, making Amelia open her eyes and gasp in surprise. She hadn't noticed that Miss Bloom was there.  
Clearing her throat, Amelia nodded. "Everyone here is very kind. I'm proud to call you all my family."  
Sitting beside her on the bed, Amelia began giggling much to Emma's confusion.  
"What's so funny?" Her new friend raised an eyebrow, peering up from the book she was reading.  
"Did you see the way he looked at me?"  
Emma now became even more confused, shutting her book and placing it on her nightstand.  
"The way who looked at you? One of the Cairnholm villagers?"  
Amelia stopped giggling, then flashed her a mischievous smile. "No, when I was down in the basement with him. He showed me how he brought his soldiers to life and it was magical."  
Emma's eyes widened, at a loss for words. After many seconds of gaping at Amelia, Emma was in denial.  
"No, you can't possibly fancy Enoch! He's a lying bastard, doesn't know the first thing about respect!"  
Amelia frowned, "I don't fancy him or whatever you call it. Do you like him?"  
"Of course not! Hardly anyone does!" Emma protested.  
"Well, it's a good thing that I don't like him then." Amelia lied, "If what you've said is true, that is. I only meant that he looked at me funny, that's all."  
Feeling something tug on the hem of her dress again, Amelia bent down to see a small homunculus. Picking it up, she turned her attention back to Emma. "He must have followed me in. I should probably return this to Enoch, it's the proper thing to do." Without waiting to hear Emma's response, Amelia left the room to go to Enoch's.  
Taking a deep breath, she knocked five times on his door. He didn't seem too pleased to open it, and Amelia heard him grumbling through the door. When he opened it, she spoke before he had the chance to make a pessimistic remark at her.  
"This is yours." She placed the little man into Enoch's hand. "He must have followed me to my room. They're sneaky little things."  
"Stupid is more like it." He replied, "Gave them life. Only have to figure out how to give them a brain now."  
"They don't have to have a brain. I know a lot of people with brains who are still stupid. They don't always help." Amelia noticed that since his door was now open, she had a clear view of his room. "This is your room? It's nice, I like the grey curtains."  
It looked like an average room and there wasn't much inside aside from some more jars. There was barely any colour inside of it, and it was just about the plainest room that Amelia had ever laid eyes upon.  
Enoch furrowed his eyebrows, shaking his head. "Don't be daft. It's just a typical old room. There's nothing nice about it."  
Amelia heard footsteps coming from downstairs. She did not know who they belonged to, as all of the children were already in bed.  
"It's the Bird! You're supposed to stay in the girl's hall at night or you'll get in trouble. I'll get in trouble too because of you." Grabbing Amelia's arm, he pulled her into his room and shut the door.  
"Miss P can't just see you wondering around in the hallway like an imbecile. You've got a lot to learn, it's a shame you don't have any common sense."  
Amelia scoffed, pulling his arm away from her and going through his closet. "I've got plenty of common sense, you're just moody."  
He scowled, "Are you always this nosy? I let you into my room and you're already snooping through my things like a wight!"  
"You don't like me now because I'm in your closet?" Amelia's mood was much more light hearted now than his was, saying this comment teasingly.  
He stuffed his hands in his pocket and went back to his bed. "Never said I didn't like you." He muttered, avoiding eye contact.  
Amelia took a hat out of his closet, one that he wore earlier in the day. She placed it on top of her head and said in a fake cockney accent, "I'm Enoch. I enjoy the dead, when others feel pain and I hate it when young ladies snoop through my closet..," Amelia paused and then added a bit uncomfortably, "Mate."  
Enoch tried to stay composed but he couldn't help cracking a small smile. "You're unbelievable." His moodiness returned as he sighed, "I'm not getting rid of you, am I?"  
"No."  
He scooted over, making room for her on his bed. When she stared at him uncertainly, he threw his hands up in the air dramatically. "If you're gonna be here for a while, you might as well make yourself comfortable."


	5. Chapter 5

"Are you joking?" Enoch let out a big guffaw, while Amelia giggled uncontrollably. They had been talking for almost an hour, and she was taking pride in telling him about the future.

"No, many people in the twenty first century are proud to do stupid things like that for everyone to see. They take pride in being foolish, then they put the videos on the computer."

Enoch was still trying to wrap his head around things. It was a much different time period than when he was from. "Do they live?"

"Yes." She couldn't believe it herself. Amelia was trying her best at explaining how most boys pull often pathetic life threatening stunts out of boredom for the whole world to see. She had seen a few videos, and didn't see the point of risking your life for publicity.

"People are foolish. I don't understand them, especially the normals. Then they think we're the lunatics." Enoch said.

"I was raised by normals. I thought I was one for the longest time. Then I met the spirits of the dead and things went downhill from there." Amelia chuckled, then sneezed.

About to reply to her comment, Enoch's eyes narrowed as he inquired, "Are you catching a cold?"

Amelia shook her head. "No, but I'm allergic to cats. There was one in the village I passed by on the way over here. Either that or I really am getting sick. The last time I caught a flu, it was horrible. I almost died."

Enoch moved closer towards her.

"Might be the smell." He pointed towards a few jars containing organs on top of his dresser. "No one shuts up about them when they come into my room. I don't get many visitors in here."

"You're not making me sick if that's what you're worried about." She leaned closer towards him, waiting for him to say something else. His face reddened and he cleared his throat, looking away. Expecting at least a smile in return, Amelia was disappointed to see his expression harden.

"Should probably get back to your room, I'm not taking the blame if the bird catches you in here." He stood up, and opened the door, not wanting to look up at her. "Get on with it! I'm not waiting forever!"

Amelia was shocked at his outburst, feeling furious and then saddened at how terribly everything had turned out. Reluctantly, she followed his orders and left the room. Before she had the chance to leave his company completely, Amelia turned around.

"Calm down, I only came in here for a chat. If you want, we could talk again tomorrow. If you're ready to control yourself then." Satisfied with her response, she slammed the door in his face.


	6. Chapter 6

Breakfast the next morning was much more pleasant than the previous night was. Choosing to distract herself by speaking to the other children instead of Enoch, Amelia joked about fashion with Horace and discussed books with Millard, keeping her distance from the moody dead riser. "What's it like being invisible if you don't mind my asking?"  
Millard shrugged, "It was quite a shock at first. When I started disappearing, I didn't have the slightest clue what was happening to me. It was rather odd, but you become used to it as the years continue to pass."  
Amelia smiled sympathetically at him. "Do you ever wish you weren't invisible?"  
Miss Peregrine cut in after taking a sip of her tea. "We must not be ashamed of our gifts. They are what make us unique."  
Becoming embarrassed, Amelia apologized. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything by it."  
"What are you going to do today, Amelia?" Hugh inquired, a bee buzzing out of his mouth. "Fiona and I are going to the garden for a walk. You can come with us if you want."  
Amelia's smile widened, pleased by the offer. "Thank you, but I actually want to see the beach first. It's close to the house, isn't it? I think I saw a lighthouse when I came here."  
"It's not too far from our present location, but I would prefer you go with another for company. I do not want my wards straying to far from the house. Miss Bloom, would you like to escort Amelia?"  
"I can't, I'm going on a supply run in the village today, but I'm sure Enoch could take her." Emma eyed Amelia suspiciously. When Amelia had returned to the room later last night, Emma was very skeptical about what had went on. She knew that she was with him. Amelia opened her mouth to protest, but then shut it again. Although nothing happened, she did not want to start drama.  
"Mr. O'Connor can accompany you, then." Miss Peregrine decided, standing up and emptying her cup into the sink. "I'll come too! I would love to visit the beach with Amelia." Horace spoke up, moving from his seat. Amelia felt relieved, she hadn't spoken to Enoch since last night and knew that things would be uncomfortable.  
They waited for Enoch to finish breakfast before making their way down to the beach. The silence would have been much more awkward if Horace hadn't been attempting to start a conversation. "Do you enjoy swimming?"  
"It's alright. I'm afraid of drowning." Amelia replied.  
"Ah, so you haven't been taught how to swim?"  
"I know how to swim, I just don't like it." The boy with the top hat seemed very confused at her words, but barely had a chance to speak due to Enoch interrupting.  
"Why are you wasting our time then by making us take you here if you don't even want to swim or do anything?" He snapped, stopping to release his frustration. Amelia was surprised by his outburst but remained calm. "The view beaches have are always pretty."  
"The beach is the second prettiest view here." A voice replied that Amelia recognized. She didn't know that Millard had followed them. Laughing, Amelia shook her head. "You're such a charmer." Enoch scoffed and turned to head back in the direction of the house, angrily.  
"This is all pointless! I don't care what the bird says, next time I'm volunteered to do something dumb, I'm not going." He picked up the pace, walking faster and wanting desperately to be alone again. That's how he preferred to be. Amelia's face fell, watching him slowly start to disappear in the distance. He had grown colder, but she felt it was her fault. Perhaps she should have controlled her temper. "Enoch! Wait!" She called, hurrying after him.  
Horace and Millard stared in silence, Millard being the one to eventually break it. "What's his problem?" Horace furrowed his eyebrows, unclear about what had happened but having a bit of an idea.  
"I'm thinking Enoch fancies her and he's not pleased with you. He wouldn't stop staring at her last night during dinner. When I confronted him about it, he went into one of his typical black moods."  
"Hm," Was all Millard could muster, but soon added, "That I must admit is rather peculiar." Enoch did not wait for her, but when Amelia caught up to him, she grabbed his arm to stop him from going any further. "I'm sorry about last night. Will you forgive me?" She asked, waiting anxiously for an answer. Amelia had never had anyone this upset with her before. "I don't care about what happened last night." He snapped, "Leave me alone." Trying to leave again, he let out a huff as Amelia gave his arm another tug. "Why are you being so rude? I thought we were becoming friends. We enjoy the same things and-" Enoch ripped his arm away, glaring at the ground. "I don't care about what happened last night." He repeated. Amelia gasped, now becoming angry as well. "Emma was right about you! I thought you were different, I made you smile yesterday!" Enoch completely ignored her and when he walked away again, she didn't bother following. "You're unbelievable!" Amelia shouted, groaning in exasperation.  
"What happened last night?" Started, Amelia said, "You have to stop doing that, Millard. Nothing happened! We talked about the dead and that was it. He's treating me badly all of a sudden and I don't know why."  
"Enoch treats everyone badly, don't take it personally." Millard said, trying to calm her. "I'm not going to take it. Tell Horace that we're not going to the beach now." Amelia crossed her arms and followed the pathway back to the Victorian Styled house.  
Upon arrival, she ignored the stares of the other children who did not understand why she was back so early. Finding Enoch sitting alone and playing with his homunculus in the living room, he pretended to not see Amelia. "We need to talk. This isn't over yet." She grabbed his hand and took him upstairs into her shared room with Emma. "Sit." She commanded, pointing to her bed and slamming her door shut for privacy. He did as told, being rather obedient with the new arrival. He enjoyed this side of her, which only made him feel more distant.  
"I've been disliked before, but not for such a ridiculous reason! Is there even a reason for this? No! There's not! At least, I don't think so. I find myself to be a kind person at times, at least I was to you and now you hate me!"  
"Never said I hated you." He mumbled, pretending to examine his fingers as a distraction. "That's a lie! I like you, I don't understand why you don't like me."  
"I like you, would you control yourself? You've gone mad!" He threw his hands up in the air and finally looked at her. "Are you satisfied now?" "No. I know we've only met yesterday and this is strange for me to say but we might have something special. Perhaps it's because we're both connected to the dead but-"  
"As special as your connection with Millard?" He grimaced, "You two wouldn't stop chatting over dinner."  
"Of course not! How I feel about him is not how I feel about you!"  
"And how do you feel about me?"  
That shut Amelia up. Becoming self conscious, she shrugged. "I don't know. How do you feel about me?" She sat beside him on the bed and was relieved when he didn't move away.  
"I don't know." He replied, "My men seem to like you. They're always running off to find you, it seems." Amelia smirked, finding his comment to be enlightening. "Maybe it's a sign."  
"Don't be a dolt, I-"  
"A sign that you should find me." Amelia grinned, as she watched Enoch's eyes widen. Leaning in slowly, Amelia expected him to find an excuse to leave and was pleased that he did not. Placing her hands on top of his, she gently kissed him and pulled away.  
"You can go now if you would like to." She said, "I suppose I am a dolt."  
"I've seen worse." His face was reddening, making Amelia giggle. "What's so funny?" He immediately became defensive, but she placed a finger on his lips to shush him.  
"I'm new, but I think you do this." She placed his arms around her waist which made him clear his throat uncomfortably. "That looks about right." He said with uncertainty in his voice. "Are we going to…y'know, again?"  
"Do you want to?" She asked quickly, and he nodded.  
"If that's what you want to do, I'm not opposed to it."  
Amelia kissed him again, this time, he responded a bit more eagerly. It wasn't until she heard the door open that they moved apart. Afraid to see who it was, they both looked embarrassed seeing their friend staring in shock.


	7. Chapter 7

Amelia's eyes continued to widen, as the young girl took a step into the room. The girl who had caught them was none other than one of the youngest wards, Olive. She looked awfully confused, and did not know what she had just seen.  
"I wanted to see if you and Emma wanted to play dolls." Her eyes darted between the pair on the bed, before they finally rested on Amelia. "Why were you two so close? Were you kissing?" The young girl then began to giggle.  
Enoch was alarmed, but at a loss for words, assuming that Amelia would take over.  
"We were…I was telling him a secret! I was whispering into his ear to tell him something private!" Amelia was satisfied with her lie, hoping that would be enough to convince the young girl that nothing romantic was going on.  
Olive immediately relaxed, soon she was beaming. "A secret? Will you please tell me! I don't remember the last time I've heard a secret! It ain't like much changes everyday."  
Feeling sorry for the younger one, Amelia struggled to come up with another fib. "Um, when I was younger, I believed that mermaids were real."  
Olive's face fell. "They're not? But they have to be real! Bronwyn helps me look for them in the water! She says we'll see one if we're lucky!" Her eyes teared up, feeling disappointed.  
Enoch let out an irritated sigh, "Here she goes, getting worked up again over her foolish fairytales. Can't stand it when she does it."  
"Mermaids are real. What I meant was that I used to think they weren't real when they obviously are." She changed what she had said before slightly, desperately hoping that Olive wouldn't notice.  
"Oh." Olive wiped her nose on the sleeve of her dress. "I know mermaids are real. They're just as real as peculiars."  
"Yes, they are." Amelia said. "I'll play dolls with you in a few minutes, I'm just going to finish chatting with Enoch. Is that alright?"  
Olive nodded, "Yes! I'll be outside, look out your window and I think you'll be able to see me. I can float up to you if you'd like!"  
Amelia laughed, "Alright, I will see you then."  
Olive left, shutting the door behind her. Enoch groaned, falling back onto the bed. "She could've told everyone about us! Least it wasn't Emma, she'd tattle to all of Cairnholm."  
Amelia laid down beside him, "Are you really that ashamed to be seen with me? We are taking things a bit fast, but I feel-"  
"I know, you feel connected to me since our peculiarities are similar or however you want to put it. We should try and keep things quiet a bit, we don't want the whole house finding out."  
"And why not?"  
He narrowed his eyes and shook his head, "I'm sure we'd get pestered by the others. The Bird would keep an eye on us too, make sure that we're not foolin' around too much."  
Enoch did have a point. Amelia turned to him, placing a hand on his shoulder.  
"I understand what you're saying, we'll be settle about this for now. Emma's going to return from her supply run in the village soon, we might as well find a new spot."  
"We could go to my room?" He suggested, "I'm alone. We won't have to worry about anyone barging in uninvited. If they do, we'll kick them out and slam the door in their face for interrupting."  
Amelia didn't want the Bird catch her in his room, and instead said, "How about we meet in the basement tonight? We'll sneak down there when everyone's asleep and have a chat."  
He scoffed, "Don't think we'll be doing much chatting."  
Amelia did not know what to say, blushing at his comment. Things had been going faster than expected, but she felt good about it.  
"I'll see you then, around eleven tonight?"  
He rolled his eyes, "I'll see you at lunch and dinner, you dolt."  
"You're not allowed to insult me after I let you kiss me!"  
He opened his mouth to say something equally as snappy in return, but then shut it again. Instead, he stood up and went to leave, giving her a nod.  
"I'll be seeing you, then."  
Amelia sat up on the bed and leaning forward, gave him a peck on the cheek.  
"I'm looking forward to it."  
His cheeks reddened again, but he pretended like it was nothing new. He had never felt this way before, it was different. For once, he was finally feeling understood and maybe he would have a happy ending.  
Making his way down the hall, Enoch grinned to himself, looking behind him at the door to Amelia's room. Being distracted, he accidentally bumped into Hugh who was making his way downstairs.  
"Would you watch where you're going?" Enoch muttered to himself, not paying attention to Hugh's surprised expression. It didn't matter to Enoch how others were feeling at the moment, all he could think about was Amelia.


	8. Chapter 8

"Look at how pretty she is! I love her so much!"  
Enoch glanced up from the newspaper he was reading and couldn't help but smile at his wife who came in with the baby. It was a little girl, no more than two months old. The baby was bundled in a large puffy coat with a furry hat and mittens.  
"Don't be dressing her up in too much, dear. She's going to cry, wouldn't shut her trap again last night." Enoch rubbed his eyes, still full of fatigue from another sleepless night. Ever since they had their baby, things had definitely changed. He may have not enjoyed the idea of having children, but soon became a bit more open after his wife had talked him into it.  
"I don't want her to be cold!" Amelia protested, cuddling the baby close while Enoch snickered.  
"It's not cold out, you've gone mad!"  
"It is cold to a baby, I don't want her to freeze." Amelia kissed the child's forehead who reached out in Enoch's direction.  
"She wants her father to hold her, isn't that sweet?" Amelia took a seat beside Enoch at the kitchen table and carefully handed the baby over to him. He appeared to be unsure of what to do, smiling uncomfortably at her.  
"She doesn't like me as much as she likes you."  
"That's not true, she loves us both equally." Amelia protested, "Show her what you can do again, darling. She likes that. Her teddy bear is in the crib." Enoch pushed back his seat and gave the child back to her mother. "Alright, but I'll need you to hold her for this."  
He left the room shortly after and came back with the teddy bear in his hand.  
"Look at this, Wendy." He said, sitting the bear on the table. The baby stared at Enoch as he touched it, making it come to life simply. The bear proceeded to walk around the table before waving at the child.  
Wendy did not seem to care, and became fussy, squirming in Amelia's arms.  
"She doesn't like it." Enoch sighed, "She doesn't like me either."  
Taking one hand away from the baby, Amelia placed it over her husband's. "She loves you, and I love you. We're a family. I know it's much more different compared to how things were when we were living at the other house, but this is how we should be living our life. I think we make quite the team, our funeral parlour is the most successful one around."  
Giving her hand a squeeze, he nodded, "I suppose you're right."  
"I'm always right." Amelia peered down at the baby who had fallen asleep. Removing her hand from Enoch's, she held the baby closer to him.  
"Look at her, isn't she cute? We could have another. Wendy could use a brother or sister. We haven't had her for very long, but I want more."  
His eyes widened, clearly surprised by her words. "More?! I just gave you one baby! Don't know if I could handle another."  
Amelia pouted, pretending to get very upset by the situation. "I understand. I only wanted for us to be one large, peculiar family of death enthusiasts. That's all."  
Enoch moaned, "Don't give me that look. Just cause I don't want anymore now doesn't mean we'll never have anymore again. We don't even know if Wendy's peculiar, the Bird said it often skips generations!"  
Amelia held up the baby to Enoch's face again, "What if we get eaten by hollows or captured by wights and don't have the chance to have another?"  
"That was our concern with having Wendy but that hasn't happened yet. We're safe until they break down the doors and eat us down to the boot." He became calmer as he looked at his sleeping baby, eventually saying. "I'm sure one more wouldn't hurt. We're not the worst parents in London, my mum and dad left me a long time ago."  
Amelia's grin widened, "Do you mean it? Wait a minute." She gently rocked the baby, placing it in her crib for a nap before returning.  
Throwing her arms around Enoch, she kissed him passionately.  
Horace woke up from his nap startled, lifting his head off of the pillow in disbelief and confusion. It had been almost a week since he had dreamt about the future, but surely this couldn't be it. He never had dreams about peculiars he knew well, but Amelia had to be the reason this one was an exception. He had just met her. Burying his head in his hands, he did not know what to think about everything.  
Hearing muttering coming from the door, he had to discuss it with someone. Nearly jumping out of bed, he scurried over to open it, pulling the first person he found into his room. To his dismay, it ended up being Enoch. "I need to speak with you, it's important."


	9. Chapter 9

"Alright, you've dragged me in here like an animal. Tell me what you want?" Enoch waited impatiently for Horace to tell him, watching as the other boy fidgeted in his presence. Horace was hiding something, a secret perhaps? He couldn't have caught Enoch with Amelia, they were only in her room for no more than ten minutes.  
"Spit it out! I haven't got all day." Enoch's patience was wearing, and reluctantly, Horace opened his mouth.  
"I had a dream about the future. It involved…" He trailed off. This was a bad idea, Horace knew that the future could easily change, and it wasn't wise telling it to others. Especially if the other was involved.  
"Involved what?" Enoch hissed, "Hurry it up, would you?"  
"It involved a cat!" Horace sputtered, sweating from being put on the spot. He rarely lied to others, and struggled to come up with more of an explanation.  
"It involved a cat…in a hat."  
Enoch looked highly unamused, "A cat in a hat, that sounds ridiculous and rather unlikely." Although he was ready to leave, he did not move, a bit intrigued and wanting to hear more.  
"It does, I don't think my prediction is accurate. The cat in the hat was holding a bat." Horace buried his face into his hands in self pity. He really was a horrid liar.  
Enoch watched him with wide eyes, but then only shook his head. "I think you've gone mad. You should really come and raid the village with us more often, the game helps."  
With that, Enoch left the room only to bump into Amelia who looked equally as alarmed.  
"Hello." He said, a faint blush forming on his cheeks.  
"Hi." Amelia replied, laughing. "I'll be seeing you." She added, giddily twirling towards the library. While she looked behind her, Amelia was pleased to see that he was also staring in her direction, dumbstruck.

A month had passed in time, but that was unprovable in the loop. Not much had changed since Amelia had arrived, many children were fond of her. One in particular. Enoch O'Connor and Amelia Hampshire were smitten with each other, and were known to sneak away often with an excuse to follow. Recently, they had been spending less time together, afraid that the house would catch on. Most did not really care, but Emma was very suspicious. It was when she was was talking to Millard in her room, that she just about exploded.  
"There has to be something going on between them! I just know it!" She let out a heavy sigh and sat on her bed.  
"You're being dramatic. There doesn't seem to be anything going on between them. They only enjoy each other's company. I chat with Amelia fairly often too and she is a charming girl. They only have something in common, their fascinating gifts to communicate with the dead." Millard replied, not too concerned about it all. He could be nosy when he wanted, but he had better things to do than spy on Amelia. He still had to work on his book.  
"I've asked her about it before and she's only told me that Enoch is nice and a good friend. Could you imagine someone thinking Enoch's nice?" Emma huffed, "There is something happening between them. They're paramours!"  
"I highly doubt that." Millard said, only to comment again, "But it is possible."  
Jumping up from the bed in excitement, Emma had an idea.  
"Spy on them, Millard! I heard her say that they were going down to the beach tonight. I bet they're sneaking out! She does an awful lot of that, always says that she goes outside at night to have a better view of the moon. Sometimes I think she's lost her marbles."  
"Hm, I'm not occupied tonight. I may be able to do so to uncover the mystery, but I do not approve of sneaking out. We must obey Miss Peregrine's rules."  
Emma let out a frustrated groan, fed up with how obedient Millard was. He was always trying to kiss up to Miss Peregrine.  
"It's only one night! Do it for me, it will put my mind at ease and I'll never speak of it again." Emma begged, "Just one night, you won't have to do it again."  
"Well, I suppose…"  
"Oh, thank you!" She hugged the currently clothed invisible, "Now we will discover the truth."  
"Very well."

When night came after the changeover and everyone was in bed, Amelia and Enoch snuck out hand in hand, unaware that Millard had followed them. Once the house was out of sight, Amelia giggled and gave his hand a squeeze. "I'm sorry if I've been distant. I spent the day with Hugh and Fiona yesterday, I wanted the others to see that I spend time with more wards than you."  
Enoch let out a big guffaw, "Distant is the last thing you've been. We snogged each other's faces off a few days ago." Seeing that Amelia was shivering, he took off his coat and draped it over her shoulders. "You cold?"  
She nodded, "A little. I forgot my coat back at the house, thank you for giving me yours."  
He shrugged it off like it was no big deal and smirked when she took his hand in her's again.  
"It feels like I've been here forever. Can you believe that it's been over a month in normal time?"  
"Yes, I can believe it. I've been here for over seventy years."  
"Right." Amelia had forgotten.  
"Does it make you uncomfortable that you're much older than me?"  
Enoch was taken aback by the question, but still answered it, "Not really. Why, does it make you uncomfortable? We look the same age, that's all that matters."  
"No, it's just a funny thought. That you're over one hundred." Amelia said.  
"I don't think it's funny. I've gotten used to being old, even if I don't feel it."  
"Oh." Amelia did not know what else to say, and as a distraction, playfully nudged him. He nudged her back, and their little game continued until they arrived at the beach.  
Millard was keeping his distance behind them, trying hard to keep his mouth shut. What he had just heard had given Emma her answer, and he was in shock.  
Running ahead of Enoch, Amelia buttoned up his coat that was still around her and sat in the sand. "Isn't it beautiful? I love night. That's when the trees look most alive."  
He sat down beside her, staring up at the moon but not saying a word, allowing her to continue.  
"When I'm with you, that's when I feel most alive." She rested her head on his shoulder, anxious to hear his response.  
"I couldn't agree more." He finally mustered, staring down at her head and giving it an uncomfortable pat. He was still trying to become used to this affection, but over time had became more comfortable with Amelia.  
Amelia lifted her head up, staring into his eyes. She moved her face forward, and kissed him softy. He responded instantly, laying down and pulling her on top of him. Wondering if he had made a mistake, Enoch pulled away to ask,  
"Is this alright?"  
Amelia paused, "It feels good to me. Does it feel alright to you? We can take things slower if you would like, or not." Millard covered his mouth in disbelief, trying to remain at ease with his grave discovery. Unsure about what to do, he did not feel comfortable loitering while they were having an intimate moment and turned around to leave. Accidentally stepping on rock, he let out a shout, but realized that he had blown his cover to quickly.  
"What was that?!" Amelia asked, sitting up. "There's someone else here!" "My apologizes!" Millard exclaimed, to which Amelia gasped, moving away from Enoch immediately. "Millard! Did you follow us?"  
"Of course he did! You can't get any privacy in this bloody house!" Enoch shouted, "Are you mental? Watching us that way?!"  
"Emma put me up to it! This was none of my doing, that's for certain! She assumed you two were paramours and her assumption is correct."  
"Don't tell anyone! It's a secret! No one can find out." Amelia warned him.  
"I don't care who put you up to it, stay quiet." Enoch said, "We can't have anyone knowing."  
"And why not?"  
"Just for reasons that are none of your business." Amelia sighed, "Please don't tell. Help us keep our secret! If you help us, we'll be forever in your debt!"  
"Don't exaggerate too much, dear." Enoch mumbled.  
"I'll bake you cookies! You can have a fresh batch all to yourself." Amelia promised. "If you help us keep our secret and don't tell."  
Giving in, Millard agreed to do so. "Oh alright. I suppose I can help if there are pastries involved."  
Enoch let out a breath of relief, while Amelia clapped her hands together. "Thank you, Millard! We appreciate it."  
"Yes, you are most welcome. I would suggest you two come home before the Bird notices our absence."  
Enoch and Amelia exchanged looks, "We'll catch up with you." Amelia said, moving back over to Enoch.  
"You can do whatever you please, it's none of my business." Millard replied, turning away and going back to the house.  
"You don't think he's still around, is he?" Amelia inquired once a few minutes had passed.  
Enoch furrowed his eyebrows, "How am I supposed to know? He's invisible. No one can see him."  
"Should we just go home? We can go to the beach another time?" Amelia stood up, brushing the sand off of her dress. "It's a shame he had to ruin the moment." Enoch followed her lead, grabbing her hand. "Is it alright if I hold this?"  
"Yes." Amelia laughed, "You don't always have to ask for permission. You can just take it, I don't mind."  
Clearing his throat, he scoffed, "I knew that. Just wanted to make sure you were comfortable."  
"You're silly." She grinned.  
"No, I'm not."  
"Yes, you are." She nudged him.  
"You are too." He nudged her back.


End file.
